[HospitalCoder]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Bill is 100% correct. We got sidetracked with COVID and a new type of vaccine that some considered controversial. But every year 35-70,000 Americans die of the flu. Not during COVID, of course, since it all got coded as COVID for $14,000 extra/patient.

The flu shot is a "traditional" vaccine---and except for some intranasal forms is a dead virus, not a live attenuated one. The most likely "side effect" of a flu shot is a sore arm. Period.

As far as RSV goes, when I was practicing it was a disease of young children, possibly a few immunocompromised folks. I never saw a case in and adult in 30+ years. Now that some company invented a vaccine, we are being told that seniors are at risk and should get the shot. From my perspective, the jury is out on that one.

Bottom line, IF I were to give advice, which I don't do, it would be to unequivocally get your flu shot.

Speaking as a hospital coder, I guarantee that Covid coding was not falsified at my hospital in IL and any hospital who did try to cheat would very likely be caught and fined. Hospital coding goes through rigorous audits.